Setting a table for a holiday feast, or even a weekday family meal? Take a cue from the nature that's blooming right outside your door and bring the outdoors in. These easy centerpiece and place setting ideas are fun, festive and set just the right mood on any table.
Showcase Single Stems
Showcase bold spring blossoms like tulips, hydrangeas, and iris individually in bud vases and cluster them in the centre of the table, or place one single stem at each place setting and let them double as favors. Because you only need a single stem in each vase, it’s an economical way to stretch a bouquet.
Plant Some Creativity
Fill plain terracotta pots in various sizes (get them at discount or garden stores) with a bit of Spanish moss and top them with candies, chocolates or nuts. A pretty place-setting idea: tuck a seed packet or two inside tiny empty pots decorated with a raffia bow. Look for packages printed with vintage-inspired designs.
Make Vegetables Multi-task
Think farmhouse rustic when it comes to place settings and tuck a gorgeous fresh vegetable like a perfect asparagus spear or a blushing red radish in a white cloth napkin and tie with twine.
Feeling crafty? For an elegant table decoration, cover a Styrofoam ball with Brussels sprouts (use toothpicks or metal T-pins to secure), nestling moss or small flowers in between to cover any remaining exposed areas. Set the ball atop a small flower pot or bowl.
Stand bunches of slender asparagus in pretty pots or bowls, surrounded by smooth stones or unshelled nuts.
Make a large arrangement by clustering colorful leafy greens like red radicchio, heads of butter lettuce, kale, small heads of Savoy cabbage, and herbs (such as dill, parsley and thyme) in a low rectangular container. Put a little water in the bottom of the container to keep everything fresh. After the meal, refrigerate the greens to use in future salads or sautés.
Create Naturescapes
Buy a flat of wheatgrass from a health-food store and set on top of some damp paper towels in a rimmed baking sheet. Cover the edges of the roots with decorative moss or smooth river pebbles.
Create mini terrariums inside glass cloches (bell-shaped containers). Scour your own backyard to find stones, moss, ferns, branches and other greenery to arrange inside.